Encounters in Lspace
by Enaid Aderyn
Summary: Two book-loving Wardens cross paths. Sabhya Amell and Airam Surana, with kind permission.  Response to a Cheeky Monkeys challenge.


_Written for reyavie's Cheeky Monkeys challenge: At least two Wardens from different universes should meet. _

_Dragon Age belongs to BioWare._

**Encounters in L-space**

_**.o0o.**_

"_**Books bend space and time...All libraries everywhere are connected in L-space. All libraries. Everywhere." (Terry Pratchett, **__**Guards! Guards**__**!)**_

_**.o0o.**_

Airam blissfully wandered deeper into the book stacks of the Great Library d'Antiva, pulling volumes at random as they caught his attention. The light yellow binding of a bestiary put him in mind of a certain blond elf, and he frowned irritably.

Silly assassin, scolding me for not keeping up with weapon training. I said I'd get to it, didn't I? Just because he never reads... well, he can just wait.

Squelching a faint stirring of guilt, he replaced the tome with a thump and turned abruptly to crash into a man reaching for a volume on the next shelf.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Air flushed in embarrassment, forgetting himself and speaking Ferelden.

"No, no, please; I was in the way," the other replied courteously in the same tongue. "I do apologize." He straightened his tunic with a friendly smile. "I'm afraid I lose track of everything else in these surroundings." Long fingers gently brushed the nearby row of gilt leather spines.

"So do I!" Delighted to find a kindred spirit, Airam looked more closely at the man, realizing with hidden surprise he was human and at least a decade older, despite being a trifle shorter than himself. On an impulse he held out his hand.

"Airam Surana."

"Sabhya Amell." The man clasped his hand unhesitatingly, coffee-and-cream skin a dramatic contrast with the white-fairness of his own. And something else...a tang of lyrium...a pull in the blood. Mage. And Warden, of all things.

Deep brown and vivid purple eyes met in silent understanding.

Air let go and cocked his head.

"Amell? I've known a couple of people by that name."

"It does seem to be a fairly common name," Sabhya said placidly. He indicated the yellow bestiary. "If that interested you, I came across a fascinating study of the Nevarran ecosystem an aisle back..."

The two browsed companionably, jumping from one topic to another, quoting passages and sampling and sharing volumes like fine wines until a mention of Antivan steel caused Air to frown in remembrance.

"I'm sorry, I meant no offence."

"What? Oh, no, it's not that." He pushed a dark violet lock behind his ear and turned a page. "My...best friend...was giving me grief about _priorities_ earlier. Books _are_ a priority. Books _are_ important. Him and his weapons. Just because _he_ doesn't read them...some days it turns into a big negotiation just so I can read in peace."

"That is a shame." Sabhya nodded in understanding. "I have a similar problem. If I'm not careful, my best friend steals my books and devours them if he thinks I'm not paying him enough attention." Air blinked, confused.

"How is that the same? At least he wants to read them."

"Ah, forgive me, I was being ambiguous. I meant he actually _eats_ them." Noting the elf's baffled expression he added, "He's a Mabari. He can be a trifle, hm, strong-minded."

As Airam's face cleared, Sabhya rubbed his shaved scalp thoughtfully.

"I must say, though, he's the first creature I've encountered who could successfully digest Frackington-fitzFforthwright's _Discourse on the Nature of the Unnatural_."

Air laughed outright and began to chant.

"_For if I were to perceive each quality that has a quality_," Sabhya joined in and they recited in unison, _"were it possible to perceive the aforesaid qualities and decide whether or not these were in fact true or merely perceived qualities which might be as it were qualitatively quantified as to whether their nature was in fact true or the unnatural falsity of the natural quality of intelligent nature's difference from corporeal nature, what then would comprise the inherent true quality of being?"_

They grinned at each other.

"My answer was fifteen."

"I always said 'blue.'"

"And it did have a remarkably soporific effect when one had difficulty sleeping."

Airam shook his head.

"Other way around for me. I'd get to trying to find some grain of sense and next thing I knew I was wide awake parsing every 'quality' and 'natural' in the essay." His eyes sparkled. "Oh, but you should have heard my friend Jowan do his impression of old Irving reading it. Hysterical!" He began laughing again and missed the startled look Sabhya gave him.

"I'm sorry, did you say-" He broke off, and the both of them raised their heads, listening.

A rattling, wailing sound had manifested, distant but approaching rapidly. The men turned to see. then hastily flattened themselves against the bookcase as an out of control rolling stepladder careened past, a tall young woman in Enchanter's robes clinging to it and fending off falling books shaken loose by her passage.

"_Bloody...poop...ouch...yaargh..."_

The ladder swerved around the corner and disappeared into the shadows.

The men exchanged glances, and then cautiously leaned forward to peer around the corner.

There was neither sight nor sound of the apparition.

"Well. That was...unusual." Air said after a significant pause. He turned around in place. "You know, does it seem as though the shadows are, well, more shadowy?"

"It may just be the hour is getting late," Sabhya said uncertainly. "But perhaps it would be wisest to call it a day."

They retraced their steps, trying not to look as though they were hurrying, until Sabhya came to a halt.

"This is where I came in." He indicated a passage to the right.

"I go to the left," Air said, mildly disappointed. They clasped hands and exchanged good wishes, and he watched the shadows swallow the little man before departing to collect his belongings.

Exiting the building, his heart lifted to see his assassin waiting for him at the cafe across the plaza. As he approached the table he could hear Zevran offering the waitress some meaningless flattery, and he rolled his eyes, pulling a book out of his satchel.

_Whack!_

"Ow! You crazy kid, what was that for?" Zevran protested, rubbing the back of his head. Air dropped into the chair opposite, waving the book.

"Book _and_ weapon. Just practicing, like you wanted." Air grinned as he leaned forward and helped himself to a handful of olives.

Zevran shook his head.

"Crazy kid," he repeated

.o0o.

_Airam Surana is from 'Failed to Fail' by Ventisquear._

_Sabhya Amell is from 'Mabari & Magus'._

_Special guest cameo by Alyce Amell from 'Remembering Aunt Mildred' by Champion the Wonder Snail._

_L-space and the concept thereof is the intellectual property of the Olympian genius that is Terry Pratchett._

_My apologies to René Descartes._


End file.
